


Security Measures

by laireshi



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Angst, Coma, Hydra Steve Rogers, M/M, Not A Fix-It, Secret Empire (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-25 07:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13829148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laireshi/pseuds/laireshi
Summary: Tony always trusted Steve with his override codes. This once, he shouldn't have.





	Security Measures

**Author's Note:**

> My letter was "H", so I went with "H for Hydra Cap" for my prompt. Then I saw [this wonderfully evil idea](https://cap-ironman.dreamwidth.org/1858196.html?thread=13888660#cmt13888660) by msermest and decided to write it! Thanks to Comicsohwhyohwhy for beta!
> 
> Also a fill for my bingo square, a picture of Steve holding Tony up.

“You should be here,” Steve says. “You should be awake and fighting me. You’d hate what I’m doing.”

Tony doesn’t answer. He never does, of course. He’s been comatose for weeks, and Steve’s best scientists couldn’t find a way to wake him up. Steve’s _mad_ at them. He knows they don’t come close to having Tony’s genius, but that’s why he’s got a whole team of them. 

He needs Tony next to him. He needs Tony fighting. He needs Tony breaking when he sees that Steve’s right. Ideally, this ends with Tony ruling beside him. But Steve will take having him captive, looking at him with hateful eyes forever, too. 

Just as long as Tony _wakes up_. 

Steve finally won, and it means nothing, because Tony wasn’t there to oppose him. He needs to fix it.

He looks down at Tony through the crystal clear glass panel over his face. Tony hasn’t changed at all since Carol knocked him down. Steve almost hates him for it. This lack of anything, of any change or any reaction, is the worst.

“You thought you disagreed with him about the incursions?” Steve asks, leaning down over the glass. “Try now.”

But Tony doesn’t answer. Tony probably doesn’t even hear him. It drives Steve insane. 

“What does it take?” he asks. “What does it take for you to wake, Tony? I’m killing your friends, you know. Don’t you want to come and save them?” he taunts. “Or are you just scared of me? Do you think you can sleep until it’s safe again? Don’t worry, I’m fixing the country. But as for you . . .” Oh, for Tony Steve has _plans_. Good plans. Special plans.

 _If only Tony woke up_.

Not for the first time, Steve wonders if Tony just _doesn’t_ want to wake up. Maybe he does hear everything and is doing it to spite Steve. But no, that’s not his style. He would do everything he could to help his friends—including, or rather starting with, putting himself in the harm’s way. It used to be infuriating to Steve’s other, weak self. 

Steve’s tired of hearing no answer.

He looks at Tony’s face one last time, and goes out.

***

He goes to Tony again, because of course he does. He can never stay away.

 _It’d be dangerous to leave him without check-ups_ , he explains to himself. _Tony Stark is extremely capable. He’d be a great tactical asset._

If only he woke up.

“I begged you. I threatened you. What else do you want?!” Steve yells. He wants to kick the pod, but he doesn’t want to risk actually harming Tony. That will come later, and Tony will be conscious for every second of it.

Tony’s silent and unmoving. He might as well be dead. But the RT set in his chest is still bright, and it gives Steve hope.

Not because he cares for Tony Stark, of course; but because Tony Stark does not deserve a peaceful death. 

“I’m sure _he_ would be sobbing at your bedside,” Steve mocks. “Is that what you want?”

Steve shakes his head. He can already see nothing will change today. There are more important things he should take care of.

(Nothing’s more important.)

***

It comes to him in a dream. Steve doesn’t like sleeping, mostly because he tends to dream of this fake, pathetic life that he hates. 

(Dream of Tony.)

But this time is different. This time, Tony’s being attacked, stripped out of his armour, carried far away. In the dream, Steve is extremely worried, but he knows what to do. He walks to the armour fragments strewn carelessly on the ground, and he says, “Armour override: Steve Rogers. 34-44-54-64.”

The armour assembles at his command.

Steve wakes up with a gasp. As the dream settles in his head, he finds himself smiling.

Tony’s exactly sentimental enough to leave in a backdoor like this. It’d probably kill him, admitting that he couldn’t trust Steve at any point during their fights, and taking it out of his tech. It’s only logical that the code still works—and how nice of Tony to connect it with voice recognition.

Steve gets dressed in quick efficient movements. He marches to the room where Tony’s held in, lets himself in and locks the door from the inside. 

He stands over the pod. He extends his hand to touch Tony’s face, and meets only the cold glass protecting him.

Not any longer, though.

“Override,” he says. “Steve Rogers. 34-44-54-64.”

He exhales; inhales; when he exhales again, the pod opens.

And inside, there’s Tony. He’s rubbing his eyes, sitting up, looking disoriented. He palms the pod and tenses. “Fuck,” he says. He looks around, squinting, as if the lights are too bright for him. “Steve?” he says, sounding hopeful.

So he didn’t hear a word when he was in the coma. He’ll find out about everything soon enough, though.

Steve takes a hold of Tony’s arms and pulls him out of the pod, stands him on the ground. Tony winces—he must be feeling _sensitive_ after his extended nap.

“Long time, Tony,” he says harshly.

Tony frowns briefly. He looks Steve up and down. “You’re not Steve.”

Steve smirks. “But you recognised me, Tony. I’m Steve. The real one.”

He can already see Tony running possibilities inside his head, and it’s impressive, really, just out of the coma, in enemy territory, and yet Tony Stark’s thinking fast. Planning. 

Steve has no intention of letting him finalise any plan, though.

His fist catches Tony on the jaw. It wasn’t a hard punch; Steve’s saving these for another time. 

“But the Steve you knew? The Steve you loved?” Steve asks, keeping his tone gentle. “He loved you too.”

“You’re lying,” Tony says, but his voice is shaking.

“Shame you two never got to talk about it, isn’t it?”

Tony’s eyes turn to steel. “Whoever you are—I’ll save Steve.”

Steve laughs at him. 

“He’s gone,” he says, slowly, as if explaining the most basic thing. “But I woke you up. Don’t you think I deserve a reward?”

“I’ve no idea what a sick game you think—”

Steve shoves him, hard; Tony’s back hits the wall forcing the breath out of him. Steve’s on him in the next second, kissing him for all he’s worth. Tony clearly gets his bearings fast: he tries to bite Steve.

Steve keeps him pinned to the wall with one forearm against his throat, and licks his mouth. “I kept begging you to wake up,” he says. “To wake up and to fight me.”

“You’ll never win,” Tony says. He’s still full of conviction. Steve can’t wait to cut it out of him bit by bit.

He kisses Tony again, forcing a leg between Tony’s knees. He finds the zips holding his undersuit together with his free hand and slides them open. 

Tony tries to kick him, and Steve laughs. “Yes,” he says. “ _Fight me_.”

He tears the undersuit from Tony’s body, leaving him naked. 

Before Tony can react, Steve spins him around, so that Tony’s face is towards the wall, his hands trapped under his own body. 

“ _Fight me_ ,” he whispers into Tony’s ear as he slides his hand down Tony’s body and Tony tenses underneath him. “Or will you admit what we both know? _You lost already_.”

(Tony won’t make a noise, this night, but that’s okay. Steve will make him yell yet.)


End file.
